Home Mechanical Ventilation Resource Center

Welcome to the Home Mechanical Ventilation Resource Center. The goal of this resource is to provide useful information on the Web for patients who need home mechanical ventilatory assistance and their caregivers. There are four major resource documents: Home Ventilation 101, Home Ventilator Directory, a Ventilator-Support Equipment Directory, and a series of ventilator acquisition checklists, designed to address a variety of specific patient populations and ventilation-related equipment.

Home Ventilation 101 is directed to physicians, caregivers, and patients who need a global understanding of home mechanical ventilation. It is hoped that the reader will understand the different methods of home ventilation for the individual with chronic respiratory failure and appreciate the distinction between invasive (tracheotomy) and noninvasive ventilation. In addition, the selection of and considerations for appropriate candidates for each form of ventilation are discussed.

The Home Ventilator Directory includes specifications and options for portable ventilators used in the home, while the Ventilator Support Equipment Directory lists support equipment. Both directories link to the manufacturer’s Web sites.

Within the ventilator acquisition checklists are links to the subset of patient scenarios, including the following:
Noninvasive Volume-Ventilator Supported Nonvented Mask Ventilation (NIV)
Volume-Cycled Ventilator Supported Pediatric Tracheostomy Ventilation
Volume-Cycled Ventilator Supported Adult Tracheostomy Ventilation
Bilevel Pressure Ventilator Supported Tracheostomy Ventilation
Noninvasive Open Circuit Mouthpiece Ventilation
Noninvasive Bilevel Pressure Mask Ventilation

This information will be updated periodically to provide ongoing support for the user. Please send any comments or concerns to the Home Care NetWork staff liaison, Maggie Bochnak, at mbochnak@chestnet.org.